Saphira woke them the next morning. Lorena lay on her side, facing the campfire, and Murtaghs' chest was pressed against her back. She begrudgingly pushed Murtaghs' arm off her, and made to sit up. But a hand grabbed the back of her dress, and pulled her back down with a sharp yank.
"What's wrong?" asked Lorena, scanning for danger.
"I'm tired, and you're warm. I don't want to get up," replied Murtagh, his eyes still closed.
She relaxed, and turned to face him. His grey eyes opened and she smiled. Reaching out she played with his long, dark brown hair, then let it fall against his tanned face. She felt like she could stay there forever.
"Help me bind Arya to Saphira." Eragon called out.
With a sigh, Lorena got up. Murtagh helped Eragon while Lorena finished packing up the camp. When they finished Eragon mounted Saphira and they went flying together. Leaving Murtagh and Lorena to take guide the horses by themselves.
"Are you okay after yesterday?" Murtagh asked.
Lorena glanced at him, he sat staring forward. She could tell he was nervous.
"I'm… alright," she hesitated, "I wasn't planning on telling you like that."
"If I had known, I would have left him for you to finish off."
Lorena gave a short laugh, "I would have told you if I'd thought I'd have ever seen them again. Though I must admit, I think it was easier for me to see it happen, rather than do it myself."
The warm breeze rustled the leaves around them.
"The slavers," Murtagh asked slowly, trying to choose his words carefully, "why didn't they try to sell your brother? At the very least it sounds like an illogical choice when all they seemed to care about was money."
"My brother…" Lorena sighed, staring at her saddle. "So we're going to Surda?"
Murtagh seemed surprised by the change in conversation, but nodded in agreement.
"Considering our circumstances it seems like the best option."
"And what will we do once we arrive?"
"I could become a master at arms," Murtagh shrugged, "teach people how to fight."
"We could open a fencing school." Lorena replied, causing Murtagh to smile at her.
"You're not worried that this would be disreputable, an unrelated man and woman living together?"
Lorena laughed, "I hadn't thought of it. We could simply tell everyone that we are married."
"We shall have to have some children," replied Murtagh with a cheeky smile. "No less than six I think."
"Six!" Lorena balked, "Maybe no more than six, we can have three of each."
"No, I want four boys."
"I don't think we get much choice," she laughed, "Have you decided on their names too?"
The two were laughing, and discussing their favourite and most hated names when Saphira plummeted from the sky, landing with a loud thump. "What now?" asked Murtagh curtly.
"The Urgals are overtaking us," said Eragon. He pointed back from the way they had come.
"How far do we still have to go?" asked Murtagh, putting his hands against the sky and measuring the hours until sunset.
"Normally?... I would guess another five days. At the speed we've been travelling, only three. But unless we get there tomorrow, the Urgals will probably catch us, and Arya will certainly die."
"She might last another day."
"We can't count on it," objected Eragon. "The only way we can get to the Varden in time is if we don't stop for anything, least of all sleep. That's our only chance."
Murtagh laughed bitterly. "How can you expect to do that? We've already gone days without adequate sleep. Unless Riders are made of different stuff than us mortals, you're as tired as I am. We've covered a staggering distance, and the horses, in case you haven't noticed, are ready to drop. Another day of this might kill us all."
Eragon shrugged. "So be it. We don't have a choice."
Murtagh looked at Lorena. "We could leave and let you fly ahead with Saphira... That would force the Urgals to divide their troops and would give you a better chance of reaching the Varden."
"It would be suicide," said Eragon, crossing his arms. "Somehow those Urgals are faster on foot than we are on horseback. They would run you down like a deer. The only way to evade them is to find sanctuary with the Varden."
"We'll escape later," said Murtagh abruptly. "When we get to the Varden, we can disappear down a side valley and find our way to Surda, where we can hide without attracting too much attention."
"So you're staying?"
"Sleep or no sleep, we'll see you to the Varden," promised Murtagh.
With newly found determination, they struggled to distance themselves from the Urgals, yet their pursuers continued to creep nearer. At nightfall the monsters were a third closer than they had been that morning. As fatigue eroded at their strength, the three slept in turns on the horses, while whoever was awake led the animals in the right direction.
They relied on Eragon, who in turn relied on Arya's memories to guide them. He sometimes made mistakes as to the route, costing them precious time. They gradually angled toward the foothills of the eastern arm of mountains, looking for the valley that would lead them to the Varden. Midnight arrived and passed without any sign of it.
When the sun returned, they were pleased to see that the Urgals were far behind. "This is the last day," said Eragon, yawning widely. "If we're not reasonably close to the Varden by noon, I'm going to fly ahead with Arya. You'll be free to go wherever you want then, but you'll have to take Snowfire with you. I won't be able to come back for him."
"That might not be necessary; we could still get there in time," said Murtagh. He rubbed the pommel of his sword.
Eragon shrugged. "We could." He went to Arya and put a hand on her forehead. Her eyes wandered uneasily beneath her eyelids, as if she suffered a nightmare. Eragon pressed a damp rag to her brow.
Late in the morning they spotted the Beartooth River, it flowed through a valley so restricted that it could be easily overlooked. By then they noticed with alarm that the Urgals had shrunk to a little more than a league. Eragon pointed to the valley, "If we can slip in there without being seen, it might confuse them."
Murtagh looked sceptical. "It's worth a try. But they've followed us easily enough so far."
The trees in the valley were so old and big that Saphira was eventually forced to take flight with Arya. The three remaining group members struggled on. Without a clear trail to follow, the tough underbrush slowed the three of them. The Beartooth River wound next to them, filling the air with the sound of gurgling water. A nearby peak obscured the sun, casting them into premature dusk.
They eventually found the valley was wider than originally thought, as Saphira landed in the river. Eragon turned to the other. "The Varden are hidden at the end of this valley. If we hurry, we might get there before nightfall."
Murtagh grunted, hands on his hips. Before he could speak Lorena piped in. "How are we going to get out of here? I didn't see any valleys joining this one, and the Urgals are going to hem us in pretty soon. We need an escape route."
"Don't worry about it," said Eragon impatiently. "This is a long valley; there's sure to be an exit further in." He released Arya from Saphira and lifted the elf onto Snowfire. "Watch Arya—I'm going to fly with Saphira. We'll meet you up ahead." He scrambled onto Saphira's back and strapped himself onto her saddle.
"Be careful," Murtagh warned, his brow furrowed in thought, then he clucked to the horses and they hurried back into the forest.
They drove horses as fast as they could, being wary of the twisting unstable ground. They kept Snowfire between them, making it easier for them to stop Arya from falling.
Eventually Murtagh stopped, staring at the ground. "What is it?" asked Lorena.
Murtagh measured a marking on the ground with his hands. "It's... it's a wolf track. But the footprints are as wide as both of my hands and an inch deep. The monster who created these could be dangerous even to Saphira."
"Let me see," Lorena came to his side, "That's a Shrrg track. You're right, it's a wolf like creature that's about the size of a horse. They hunt in packs, and are stealthy. We need to be careful."
Just then Saphira and Eragon landed on a small field ahead of them. Eragon did not dismount, so they hurried over. "What's wrong?" Murtagh called out angry, worried and tired at the same time.
"... I made a mistake," said Eragon. "The Urgals have entered the valley. I tried to confuse them, but I forgot one of the rules of magic, and it cost me a great deal."
Scowling Murtagh jerked his thumb over his shoulder. He explained the tracks that he had found, and Lorena explained the dangers of the creature that made it. Murtagh turned to Saphira. "I know you can't enter the forest, but could you circle above us? That should keep these beasts away. Otherwise there may only be enough left of us to roast in a thimble."
"Humour, Murtagh?" asked Eragon, a quick smile coming to his face.
"Only on the gallows." Murtagh rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe that the same Urgals have been following us the whole time. They would have to be birds to catch up with us."
"Saphira said they're larger than any we've seen," remarked Eragon.
Murtagh cursed, clenching the pommel of his sword. "That explains it! Saphira, if you're right, then those are Kull, elite of the Urgals. I should have guessed that the chieftain had been put in charge of them. They don't ride because horses can't carry their weight—not one of them is under eight feet tall—and they can run for days without sleep and still be ready for battle. It can take five men to kill one. Kull never leave their caves except for war, so they must expect a great slaughter if they are out in such force."
"Can we stay ahead of them?"
"Who knows?" said Murtagh. "They're strong, determined, and large in numbers. It's possible that we may have to face them. If that happens, I only hope the Varden have men posted nearby who'll help us. Despite our skill and Saphira, we can't hold off Kull."
Eragon swayed. "Could you get me some bread? I need to eat." Lorena quickly brought him part of a loaf. Murtagh scanned the valley walls, worry in his eyes. Eragon seemed to sense what was wrong. "There will be one farther in."
"Of course," said Murtagh with forced optimism, then slapped his thigh. "We must go."
"How is Arya?" asked Eragon.
Lorena shrugged. "The fever's worse. She's been tossing and turning. What do you expect? Her strength is failing. You should fly her to the Varden before the poison does any more damage."
"I won't leave you two behind," insisted Eragon. "Not with the Urgals so near."
Murtagh shrugged this time. "As you wish. But I'm warning you, she won't live if you stay with us."
"Don't say that," insisted Eragon, pushing himself upright in Saphira's saddle. "Help me save her. We can still do it. Consider it a life for a life—atonement for Torkenbrand's death."
Murtagh's face darkened instantly. "It's not a debt owed. You—" He stopped as a horn echoed through the dark forest. "I'll have more to say to you later," he said shortly, stomping to the horses. Murtagh and Lorena grabbed the reins and trotted away. Murtagh shooting an angry glare at Eragon.
They travelled in silence until they heard the cracks of tree branches and a second later howls echoed through the valley. They looked up and realized that Saphira was dropping boulders on the Kull. Despite their predicament Lorena could not help but laugh.
They ran for hours while Saphira picked boulders from the river and dropped them on the advancing Kull. As night fell the cold crept in, chilling the trees and turning them white with frost. They drove the horses ahead of them, slapping their rumps to keep them moving. They ran out of the forest and saw Eragon and Saphira next to the Beartooth River. The two continued their run, and Eragon joined them. Saphira went to the river so she could follow them without being hindered by the trees. Murtagh said, "I saw you dropping rocks with Saphira—ambitious. Have the Kull stopped or turned back?"
"They're still behind us, but we're almost to the head of the valley. How's Arya?"
"She hasn't died," Murtagh said harshly. His breathing came in short bursts. His next words were deceptively calm, like those of a man concealing a terrible passion. "Is there a valley or gorge ahead that we can leave through?"
"It's dark," Eragon began evasively, "so I might have missed something, but... no."
Murtagh swore explosively and came to an abrupt stop, dragging on the horses' reins until they halted as well. Lorena rested her hands on her knees, puffing trying to get her breath back. "Are you saying that the only place we can go is the Varden?"
"Yes, but keep running. The Urgals are almost upon us!"
"No!" said Murtagh angrily. He stabbed a finger at Eragon. "I warned you that I wouldn't go to the Varden, but you went ahead and trapped me between a hammer and an anvil! You're the one with the elf's memories. Why didn't you tell me this was a dead end?"
"All I knew was where we had to go, not what lay in between. Don't blame me for choosing to come."
Murtagh's breath hissed between his teeth as he furiously spun away. His shoulders were tense, and a vein throbbed on the side of his neck. Lorena stood, ready to keep going. "Murtagh, we have to go. We can't stay here."
"What's your quarrel with the Varden? It can't be so terrible that you must keep it hidden even now. Would you rather fight Kull than reveal it? How many times will we go through this before you trust me?"
There was silence.
"Murtagh," said Eragon earnestly, "unless you wish to die, we must go to the Varden. Don't let me walk into their arms without knowing how they will react to you. It's going to be dangerous enough without unnecessary surprises."
"Murtagh..." breathed Lorena, "Murtagh please."
Finally Murtagh turned to look at her. His breathing was hard and fast, like that of a cornered wolf. He paused, then said with a tortured voice, "You have a right to know. I... I am the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn."
